Hank & Jocelyn
Hank shrugged a jacket on over his large frame, paw grabbing his image inducer and putting it on his wrist. It just made things easier if he had it on when he went out. He put his hat on and left the medlabs, experiment notes in the briefcase in his hand.
Soon enough, he was in the city and going to the lab complex he utilised on occasion for research he did not have the time to do himself, or the expertise and equipment to complete it satisfactorily. He sighed to himself as he pulled into the parking lot. Jocelyn would be there today. Rattling in on the bike she'd bought on the cheap, secondhand deathtrap that it was. He was almost sure she would accept the job offer. The professor had agreed to offer her quite a nice salary, and the work would bring more respsonsibility with it.
He got the lift upwards and thankfully turned his image inducer off. In at least this section of the scientific community his blue fur gained no attention as compared to the pleasure of pure scientific research. He chatted with the supervisor about the work he needed done, and then went to find Jocelyn. Who was muttering at her computer, eyes glued to the screen.
"Ah ha! Take that, Crusader scum! You shall cower before the might of I, Saladin!"
"Miss White-"
"Ahhh!"
Jocelyn's chair toppled backwards as she jerked away from her computer in shock. Hank leapt forward quickly to prevent her hitting her head against the wall of her cubicle, then got her upright again and she looked at him guiltily as animated figures ran around on her screen, killing each other. A tinny death scream echoed from her speakers softly.
"Coffee break!" Jocelyn said quickly, pointing at the cardboard cup of coffee cooling on her desk.
Hank nodded slightly, almost smiling at the gamut of emotions that flickered over her expressive face. Fear, guilt, defiance, defensiveness. Like a child who'd done something they weren't sure they'd get into trouble for, but had a very good argument ready about why they shouldn't be if they were.
"If I could have a word..."
Jocelyn saved and exited her game, quitting it to reveal a database entry analysis she was completing.
"Of course, Dr McCoy..."
Jocelyn was quite curious as to what. She picked up her coffee and sipped from it daintily, crossing her purple Doc Martins at the ankle. Hank decided to be blunt and explained the situation to her in detail, then gave her the employment contract he and Xavier had worked out. Jocelyn took it, already knowing she would take the job. It paid better. She needed more money. Adam had left her with a lot of debt to pay off, the parasite. She smiled at Hank.
"Can I think on it and get back to you?"
"Of course."
Hank nodded, exiting quickly.
"I will be awaiting your answer with anticipation, Miss White."
Hank went back to the mansion, humming happily along with his CD player. Even if she would never consider him for a relationship, even if she entered one with someone at the mansion, at least he would see her everyday. Listen to her earnest voice lost its usual shyness as she explained what she thought the results meant. Watch her concentrate to the exclusion of the world, frowning slightly and bottom lip jutting out as she bit at the inside of it. SMell the cedar and sandalwood she packed her clothes with, soft earthy scents which syuted her. Her...eccentric fashion sense, mainly gotten from op-shops and vintage wear.
And she would be living at the mansion.
Hank smiled widely as he parked the car and went down to the medlabs, whistling cheerfully.
Bobby
Bobby was sitting in the medlabs, playing a game on his phone when he heard the door open.
"Hey Hank!"
Hank
"Salutations, Bobby, on this most felicitous day!"
Hank took his coat off and hung it neatly on a hook, putting his hat above it, before he put his lab coat on. He was still humming, some sappy 80's love song.
Bobby
"Hey, someone's cheery, cool."
Bobby put his phone into his pocket.
"What's up, dude?"
Hank
"I went into the city today, and conversed with Miss White on the possibility of her taking up employment here."
Hank jumped onto the ceiling fan, hanging upside down from it as he regarded Bobby.
"She said she would think on it and get back to me."
Bobby
"Hanky and Miss Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttteeeeeeeeeee!"
Bobby chuckled.
"Did she do it in the Conservatory with the spanner?"
Hank
Hank gazed at Bobby for a moment, silent, then shook his head.
"You are most odd, my friend, and I fear for you greatly."
His eyes drifted to the phone.
"I hope she calls soon."
Bobby
Bobby nodded.
"Same, for your sake. Hey... this is gonna sound weird and don't take it that I need like... could you come to Uni with me soon?"
Hank
Hank swung his gaze back to Bobby.
"Of course. But why me? Why not...Octavian? Or Julie?"
Bobby
Bobby looked at his feet and mumbled something incoherent.
Hank
"Bobby, even I did not understand that. I doubt our esteemably able Wolverine would have understood it either."
Hank let go of the fan and landed on his feet before going over to Bobby.
"Are you still worried about Octavian? The professor and Logan, Storm, they will not let his father near him again. Now that we know, we can take steps. But I am going to advise he see a different counsellor, one specialising in sexual abuse. Rather then this ninny of a woman we have."
Bobby
"Well that and..."
Bobby looked at anything but Hank.
"I just wanted you to be there, coz... you're my best friend."
Hank
Hank smiled widely.
"I am happy to be considered so, Bobby. Now. When are we going?"
He went to his desk and scrabbled through it, throwing a twinkie to Bobby and opening one for himself.
Bobby
"Speaking on twinkies, did you like the cake I got you the other day?"
Bobby opened the twinkie and munched happily, then swallowed.
"Well, I wanna go asap, but it's really up to when you're free. I have a class with Jean today, but I'm gonna skive it off. I know, I shouldn't, but eh."
Hank
"The cake was splendifirous, Bobby," Hank said.
"I should not encourage you to not attend class."
Bobby
"Ah, but I made the decision to not go to Jean's class about... yesterday."
Bobby nodded.
"But Storm said that I would be allowed to not go to class, if I had a good, Uni related reason. Well, she didn't say it in so many words. Ok, she did. Wait, she used more words."
Hank
"Well, if the goddess has given her blessing, who am I to disagree?"
Hank smiled, then frowned.
"First I must check on the state of Toad's burns. They are not healing as quickly as they should...nor as neatly."
Bobby
Bobby nodded.
"You're such a good guy, Hank."
He stood up.
"I'm gonna get my jacket and map and stuff, then I'll come back down?"
Hank & Toad
"It may take a while to convince Toad he should accept treatment."
Hank gathered up his things and went to find his reluctant patient. He found him near the pond, sitting on the pier and looking into the water. The blue furred doctor shuddered slightly as Toad's tongue snapped out to grab a passing insect and the green skinned mutant ate it, before grabbing another one.
A brief argument, where Hank won and Toad submitted to treatment. Hank headed back to the medlabs, covered in lake mud and in a rather bad mood as compared to the good one of before. Growling under his breath, he dropped his bag by the door and took his labcoat off, throwing it in the laundry before going to his shower.
Bobby and Rebekah
Bobby went upstairs, grabbed his jacket and hunted around his room for his map.
He was looking under his bed, his arse up in the air when he felt something hit it, rather hard.
Bobby whirled around, losing balance and landing on his back, looking up at Rebekah, with a floating book in front of her, obviously the guilty party.
"I knew you couldn't keep your hands off me."
"I did, I used the book. Could I borrow your notes from Storm's class?"
"Don't you want to borrow me? A little bit of loving? Hey, where' the stalwart warrior and or protector?"
Rebekah held her hand out for the notes.
"Notes."
"Bossy. I like that. Here."
Rebekah took the notes and left, letting Bobby go back to searching for his map.
He eventually found it and went back down to see Hank.
Hank
Hank cursed as he tried to get the mud out of his fur. Then dropped the shampoo.
"Damnation!"
Bobby and Rebekah
Bobby went into the medlabs and perched himself on a chair, hearing the shower running.
He pulled his phone out and started to harrass Rebekah with annoying messages.
Rebekah pulled her phone out and rolled her eyes.
Oh he was never getting it up again.
Hank
Hank scrubbed the last of the mud out of his fur, then dedicated himself to the task of getting it dry.
"Bobby, I am quite sorry. Toad was out near the lake, and he tripped me into the mud. It is quite difficult to get mud out of fur as long as mine."
Bobby
Bobby nodded.
"That's alright, Hank. I was having fun annoying Rebekah. Although I fear Jono may hit me, but it's the risk you take, right?"
Hank
Hank peered around the door's edge to look at Bobby, bearing a rather striking resemblance to a drowned lion or bear. Or something large and furry.
"Since I do not annoy Rebekah, I do not take that risk."
Bobby
Bobby chuckled.
"I live on the edge. You ready?"
Hank
Hank closed the door, then shook himself briskly. He dressed again, now dry thanks to the large hairdryers and thick towels he had.
"Indeed."
He opened the door again, ignoring the slightly puffy state of his fur.
Bobby
Bobby nodded and put his jacket on, zipping it up and then led Hank out to the garage.
"You wanna drive or me?"
Hank
"You can drive. You need the practice."
Hank put his image inducer on, and then flicked the switch. Blue fur disappeared under normal looking pink skin. Hank looked like a studious professor with black hair and a faint trace of stubble on his jaw. Just a little taller and more muscular looking then the average professor.
Bobby
"At the risk of sounding more gay than I already am... you know you're a good looking guy, right?"
Bobby opened the car and got into the drivers seat, starting the engine.
Hank
"This is what I looked like before I took the drug that enhanced my X-Gene," Hank explained as he got into the car.
"Most women do not however, find blue fur attractive. I was not overly blessed with compainship even when I looked like this. My mother has mostly given up on the chance for grandchildren, I think."
Bobby
"I like the fur."
Bobby paused, reversing out of the garage.
"But then again, I'm not going to have your babies. Not that I wouldn't. I just can't."
He shifted into first and drove through the gates, shifting gears smoothly, second, third, staying in third.
"I'm gonna miss hanging out with you when I'm gone. But I'll be back like evry weekend."
Hank
"Very good."
Hank smiled.
"If Miss White decides to accept Professor Xavier's offer, would you help me help her move? You could meet her, that way."
Bobby
"Course."
They chatted idly a bit more as they drove, but when Bobby rounded the corner and NYU came into view, he chewed on his lip, suddenly feeling nervous.
He'd be living off campus in a little apartment that his parents had helped him out with. They'd had a fit of conscience at the last moment, and didn't want their little mutant son to be living in squalor.
And they were all for him moving out of the mansion.
"So we'll look around the uni, then you can come see my awesome new house. Apartment. Loft. Whatever."
Hank
"Sounds like a most worthwhile iteninary, Bobby my friend."
Hank looked at Bobby.
"Are you truly alright with this? I remember how hard it was to leave my parents when I was awarded my athletics scholarship to medical school..."
Bobby
Bobby nodded, fixing a brave smile on his face.
"I want to do this, I don't want to go half ways about it, and always rely on the Professor to bail me out of trouble."
Hank
"If you need help at any time, Bobby, you can ask me," Hank said gently.
"I will be there to help."
Bobby
"Thanks Hank."
Bobby parked the car and took a deep breath.
"Ready to see where I shall be matriculating later on this year?"
He grinned.
"I've been picking words up from you."
Hank
"If only that was not the sole place my behaviour affects you," Hank said mock-sadly.
He opened his door and got out.
"Lead on, Bobby."
Bobby
Bobby chuckled and got out of the car, locking it as they walked away.
"Ok this is the parking lot, and how nice it is. That's the admin block... and then... it's huge... oh god, it's huge."
Hank
"Breathe, Bobby," Hank said.
"It will get familair over the first few months."
Bobby
Bobby nodded, resisting the urge to jump on Hank's back and screech at him to take him home.
"What if I don't make friends? What if they try and kill me because they hate me?!"
Hank
"You can call me at night and tell me how it is going," Hank said patiently.
"I am sure you will make friends, Bobby. You have a lot of friends at the mansion. You're good at talking to people."
Bobby
Bobby nodded again.
"Thank you Hanky."
They walked around a bit more, Bobby getting a little more used to it, then headed for his new apartment.
Hank
"You will need to buy some furniture," Hank noted as they stepped inside.
"It's a little bare."
Bobby
"Mom said she and Dad would send all the furniture from my room at their house."
Bobby looked around, then hugged Hank's arm, breathing heavily.
"I can't do this, Hank, I can't move out!"
Hank
"Yes, you can, Bobby."
Hank patted Bobby's shoulder gently.
"You are quite able to cope with this."
Bobby
Bobby felt his cheeks get wet.
Oh dude, he was crying?!
"I can't! Hank, I can't, I can't be on my own, and I don't want to live without you here too!"
Hank
Hank sighed, a rumbling sound, before enfolding Bobby in a hug.
"Bobby, my friend..."
Bobby
Bobby hugged Hank back, burying his head in the other mutants shoulder.
"I can't live by myself, I'll go crazy!"
Hank
"As I have said, you can call me at night," Hank said.
"And you said you would come visit on weekends."
He rubbed Bobby's back soothingly.
Bobby
Bobby sniffed, nodding.
"I'm just going to miss you."
Hank
"As I will miss you, Bobby, but I think this is a nessecary step for you to take."
Hank lifted Bobby's head, looking at him seriously.
"We must all grow up, sometime."
Bobby
Bobby nodded, wiping his eyes.
"You always know what to say to make me feel better Hanky."
Hank
"I try," Hank said modestly.
He fished in his pockets for a hankerchief and gave it to Bobby.
"Here."
Bobby
Bobby blew his nose on it, then went to offer it back to Hank, and thought about it, then tucked it in his pocket.
"I'll wash it for you. Thanks."
He gestured around.
"So do you think you'd venture out of the medlabs to visit me here?"
Hank
"If you promise to buy me twinkies," Hank said.
"Then I will."
He grinned.
Bobby
"I'll stock the cupboards full."
Bobby chuckled.
"What about the elegant Miss White? When you and her are together, will you still visit me?"
Hank
"Bobby..." Hank sighed.
"It is highly unlikely that she will ever be interested in me that way...I will settle for her prescence at the mansion, even if she decides to enter a relationship with someone else."
He looked momentarily saddened.
Bobby
Bobby rubbed Hank's shoulder.
"If it makes you feel better... I'd date you if we weren't such good friends. And I wasn't with Julie."
Hank
"And also if I wasn't solely interested in the opposite sex," Hank pointed out.
"Bobby..."
He paused, wondering how to put this.
"What are you going to do about Octavian?"
Bobby
Bobby shrugged.
"I honestly don't know. I think I'm going to stop sleeping with him, because it's really not fair on him."
Hank
"Perhaps his...infatuation will die a natural death when he goes to Harvard," Hank said slowly.
He doubted very much whether it would...
Bobby
"He's my friend, and I care about him, but... I don't think in the way he wants me too... and sometimes, I feel like he gets weird around you and me."
Bobby shrugged.
"Just something I've noticed."
Hank
"I have noticed..."
Hank sighed slightly.
"As a medical practicioner, I am quite concerned for him."
Bobby
"He won't admit he wants or needs help though. You know Tav."
Bobby eyed his room slightly.
Hank
"Yet it is quite clear he does. His recent suicide attempt, and very near successful..."
Hank sighed.
"If Logan had been ten minutes later, I would not have been able to save him."
Bobby
"See, Logan's good for something, other than beating me to a pulp."
He paused.
"Actually, he just lets Faith beat me up because I think he finds it funny."
Hank
"Perhaps," Hank allowed.
"Or perhaps you could stop irritating them."
Bobby
"Hey, I avoid them at all costs... ok, I avoid Logan. Faith, I kinda like seeing."
Bobby chuckled.
Hank
Hank shook his head.
"You bring trouble down on your own head."
His cell went off and he grabbed it.
"So sorry, Bobby...hello? Speaking. What? I'll be right there. How very exciting. Yes. I see. Of course. Yes. See you soon."
Hank put his phone away again, looking at Bobby.
"It seems you may meet Miss White sooner then you expected. Come on."
He headed out to the car.
"My research into mutant genetics seems to have had an unexpected effect..."
Bobby
"Or she's fallen for your mild mannered hotness."
Bobby nodded, following him.
Hank
"Bobby..." Hank sighed as he got in the driver's seat.
"You can be irritating at times."
Bobby
Bobby chuckled and hopped into the passenger seat.
"You love me."
Hank & Jocelyn
Hank shook his head as he drove them out to the lab. Minor arguing with the security guard to get BObby in, and then they went up to the floor where Hank's research was being conducted.
Jocelyn met them at the door, pushing her black fiftie's style glasses back up her nose.
"Dr McCoy, you have got to see thes!"
Her NZedder accent came out clear and strong.
"Oh, hello."
She looked at Bobby, smiling in welcome, and sticking her hand out.
"My name's Jocelyn White."
Bobby
Bobby shook her hand.
"I'm Bobby Drake. Nice to meet you."
Hank & Jocelyn
"You said something on the phone about one of the skin samples..." Hank prompted.
"Yes! Interesting accident, really."
Jocelyn moved off, twisting her hair back and sticking a pencil through it to keep it in place.
"Someone, we're not sure who, put that sample of sputum from...Toad, I think you said, inside the petrie dish where we were growing that skin sample from Rogue."
Hank nodded as he followed her.
"As you are aware, Rogue's mutation is chemically based, her skin secreting a chemical substance that lets her absorb another being's life force. Watch this."
Jocelyn got out the petrie dish and put her finger in it before Hank could stop her, moving forward slightly to knock it out of her hand. She smiled at him as nothing happened.
"Apparently, they neutralize each other. Isn't that interesting?"
"Very..." Hank breathed.
Bobby
Bobby watched blankly, not really getting anything science related, but happy that Hank was happy.
Jocelyn & Hank
Jocelyn put down the petrie dish and went to wash her hands.
"I've been thenking about what you said this morning, Dr McCoy. I'll come and help you out at the mansion."
Hank grinned happily.
"Splendid!"
Bobby
Bobby resisted the urge to nudge Hank and wink, and busied himself by looking around the lab.
Interesting.
Even for science... interesting.
Jocelyn & Hank
Jocelyn came back, Docs clunking noisily on the linoelum floors.
"That was really bout it, but it had to be seen to be believed."
Hank nodded.
"Nevertheless...you will be doing more complete anaylses?"
"Of course. Shepherd is working on that now."
They were talking science talk, but their eyes were speaking a different language.
Bobby
Bobby noticed the dewey looks between them and hid his grin.
He wasn't going to ruin this for Hank.
Hank & Jocelyn
"If you find out anything else, please contact me at once," Hank said.
"Of course. Sorry for interupting your day," Jocelyn said.
"No, no, quite alright. Truly."
Jocelyn smiled slightly.
"Well, I better get back to work."
"Oh! Of course. Come on, Bobby. Farewell, Miss White."
"Goodbye, Dr McCoy."
Bobby
"Bye," Bobby said as he followed Hank.
Once they were out of her hearing range, Bobby nudged Hank.
"Well, I think that went well, don't you?"
Hank
"I think so, yes," Hank murmured.
He smiled faintly.
Bobby
"You right to drive? Or you too busy floating on cloud nine, so I have to?"
Bobby grinned.
It was nice to see Hank so happy.
Hank
"I can drive," Hank said.
They started to drive back to the mansion.
"And I am not on cloud 9. I am...pleased."
Bobby
Bobby nodded and flicked the radio on.
"I'm glad you're happy, dude. You deserve it. Plus, now you'll have someone of your own intelligence to talk to, rather than me."
Hank
"Bobby, you are quite intelligent," Hank said.
"I think you will be just fine at college."
Bobby
"Thanks, Hanky. But I will be calling you all the time. And emailing you."
Bobby scratched his neck.
"You know, Jubes and I went out with a big prank, why don't you and I go out with a huge twinkie run?"
Hank
"Why not?" Hank said.
"I know...we can steal the Jet."
Bobby
Bobby's eyes lit up.
"And stock it full of delicious twinkies..."
Hank
"Indeed! Processed confectionary goodness!"
Hank smiled.
"It's going to be an awful lot of twinkies."
Bobby
"And so it should last us awhile, until our next twinkie run."
Bobby nodded.
"I don't want you twinkie running with just anyone."
Hank
"Oh, I could never damage this wonderful thing between us," Hank said dryly.
"It's too meaningful."
Bobby
Bobby chuckled.
"Damn straight, Beast."
Hank
"Am I the only one who finds that codename mildly degrading?" Hakn complained as he swung into the driveway.
"I mean, honestly...Beast."
Bobby
"Yeah, it is a bit... but hey, dem's the breaks. Iceman sounds so wussy, at least yours sounds like a mans name."
Bobby hopped out of the car once Hank had parked.
"But it's kinda funny, coz you're name's so ferocious, but you're not..."
Hank
"Violence is the last refuge of the shallow," Hank said.
"Usually, things can be resolved without violence."
He got out of the car and hummed slightly as they walked down to the medlabs together.
Bobby
Bobby nodded and walked alongside Hank.
"So, where's she gonna sleep? Down here, or upstairs in one of our newly vacated rooms?"
Hank
"I was going to leave the choice to her," Hank said.
"But I think she will sleep upstairs."
Bobby
"Cool."
Bobby looked at Hank with a fleeting glance of worry.
"You won't forget me, right?"
Hank
"How could I?" Hank said.
"If I did, I would forget to check my shampoo has not been doctored before I use it and wind up some horrible hue."
Bobby
"Oh Hanky, I'd never do that to you... again."
Bobby grinned and hugged his friend.
"Besides, Jubes and I needed to make sure the stuff would work in Jean's hair."
Hank
"Of course," Hank said dryly.
He patted Bobby's back gently.
"Are you alright with moving out now?"
Bobby
"Not really," Bobby admitted.
"I mean, it'll be good for me and all, I just... I know I'm gonna miss it. Hell, I might even miss being yelled at by Logan."
Hank
"I highly doubt that."
Hank pushed open the door to the medlabs and went inside.
Bobby
"Yeah, you'd be right."
Bobby followed Hank through the doors.
Hank
Hank and Bobby passed the time until it was night, and then went out to steal the Blackbird and go on the grande twinkie run.
The older mutant whistled faintly as he jimmied the lock to the hanger.
Bobby
Bobby chuckled, biting his hand to stop himself from losing it and making a lot of noise.
"Reckon they'll know it's gone?"
Hank
"I think they will know when the basketball court opens up to let us out."
Hank grinned as the door opened and he went through it.
Bobby
"But will they know it was us?"
Bobby chuckled, following Hank.
Hank
"I think that the security cameras will make it plain."
Hank went to the Blackbird and unlocked it.
"Quickly, Bobby...before Logan notices anything on the monitors."
Bobby
Bobby darted into the jet, almost a blur.
He hopped into one of the seats.
"Ready, Captain Hank?"
Hank
"Indeed."
Hank sat down in the chair and flicked the Jet on, before opening the basketball court. A slightly wobbly exit and they were flying away.
Bobby
"Whooooop!" Bobby cheered as they took off.
He looked around at the wide expanse of the Jet.
"Dude, we're gonna be swimming in Twinkies!"
Hank
"Oh? Like Scrooge McDuck in his money vault?" Hank said as he flew to the city.
"See, I do remember some cartoons."
Bobby
"Yay for cartoons."
Bobby nodded.
"Ducktales rocks."
Hank
Hank parked the Jet carefully on a rooftop.
"Let us go and buy twinkies! For we are on a twinkie run!"
Bobby
Bobby was bouncing around like a kid hyped up on too much sugar.
"Twinkies!"
He followed Hank out of the Jet, still bouncing.
Hank
They climbed carefully to the ground and then went into the shop.
"Lo, for there they are! The most tricksome twinkies!" Hank exclaimed, pointing at a display.
"Let's get them. Huzzah!"
Bobby
Bobby half skipped, half ran for the Twinkies, grabbing a basket on the way.
"Twiiiiiiiinkiiiiiiieeeees!"
Hank
"Twinkies!"
Hank grabbed another basket, grinning maniacally. The bored guy on the counter looked up from his porn mag and watched them, faint frown creasing his forehead. Hank started to stuff twinkies in his basket.
"Come to me, my pretties..."
He paused for a moment, and looked at Bobby.
"Do you think Jocelyn likes twinkies? Jocelyn...her name is a poem."
Bobby
Bobby looked at the guy at the counter and checked out the magazine.
"I have that one. Centrefold's ace."
He went back to the twinkie taking.
"I think Jocelyn is the twinkie type, yes."
Hank
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee," Hank qouted in a
dreamy voice.
"Ah, Jocelyn..."
He gave himself a brisk shake and put the twinkies down for the attendant to start tallying them up.
OOC: Sonnet XVIII - Shakespeare
Bobby
"Dude, you have it soooo bad."
Bobby chuckled and put his lot of twinkies onto the counter.
Hank
"I like Shakespeare, he was a man who knew life well," Hank said, getting out his bank card.
"And perhaps I am infatuated. Can you blame me? Ah, Jocelyn...wait until you truly speak to her, rather then just about science. Although she makes this very earnest and cute expression when she's talking about work..."
He sighed slightly.
Bobby
"Well, I don't think I'm going to fall in love with her, but that's good, seeing as I have Jules."
Bobby patted Hank's shoulder.
"I can just see it now... mini HankJocelyn's running around..."
Hank
"Knowing my luck with relationships, she'll probably enter a relationship with someone at the mansion," Hank noted sadly.
"And I doubt there will ever be any...mini Hanks running around."
He took the bags of twinkies in his hands after he'd paid for them.
Bobby
Bobby grabbed some bags and followed him out.
"Like who? Who else would you want at the mansion?"
Hank
"I do not know Bobby. I know a little about her, since that lab runs very strenous security checks on the people it employs. I do not have my eye on any other women, but Jocelyn is younger then I by about eight or ten years, and she may fall in love with someone at the mansion who is not me."
Hank opened the jet and put the bags of twinkies down.
"I have a feeling that it will happen, but having her around daily will be pleasure enough."
Bobby
"Hank, dude, I saw the looks she gave you. She isn't gonna fall for anyone else."
Bobby set his bags down and hopped into his seat.
"But I promise to act surprised like I didn't see it coming when you get married."
Hank
Hank was silent for a moment, thinking, as he got the Jet back up in the air.
"Tell me, honestly Bobby...and if I suspect you are lying to spare my feelings, I will give you a shot of something nasty and horribly painful in a tender place...do you think she has feelings for me?"
Bobby
Bobby looked at Hank, right in the eye.
"I think she does. I could be wrong, it's happened once or twice, but hey, there was no denying the looks she gave you. I may not know much about anything, but I know about attraction. I base my life around it."
He nodded at his friend, joking aside, and being completely honest.
"I think she likes you."
Hank
"Ah..."
Hank smiled.
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind..."
OOC: A Midsummer Night's Dream - Shakespeare
Bobby
"Dude, I skipped English, remember?"
Bobby paused.
"Oh wait, I skipped Jean's class. Well, I skipped English the other day too."
Hank
"It's Shakespeare, Bobby," Hank sighed.
"I should sit you down and make you read them. That was from A Midsummer Night's Dream...you would probably enjoy it. My Oberon! what visions have I seen! Methought I was enamour'd of an ass!"
Hank coughed slightly.
"It's one of the more complicated plays to explain...but quite funny."
Bobby
"I've read a few. I read Othello, and Taming of the Shrew... and Romeo and Juliet... and some of As You Like It..."
Bobby shrugged.
"What can I say, I'm not a great reader."
Hank
"Bobby..." Hank scolded gently.
"Reading is a skill taken far too lightly. On to another topic. How is your fair lady?"
Bobby
Bobby beamed slightly.
"She's good. We went out for dinner awhile ago, and that was fun."
Hank
"I am glad."
Hank smiled as he looked for another convenience store.
"Do you think Jocelyn will be able to cope with moving into a house full of mutants?"
Bobby
"Well, I mean, she's working with you on mutants and stuff..."
Bobby shrugged.
"You know her better than me, but I think she'll be ok with it."
Hank
"Studying data at one remove from the living mutants they have been taken from is different then actually living among them," Hank pointed out, then sighed.
"I just want this to work so badly."
Bobby
"And it will, Hanko."
Bobby smiled at him.
"And look, if she couldn't see what I saw in seconds, that you're a great guy, then she'd not worth it."
Hank
"Jocelyn is a wonderful, caring person with a deep sense of personal honour and responsibility," Hank said, starting to bring the Jet down.
"The reason I offered her the chance for the job was that she is a tireless and commited worker, and she is also trying to pay off a massive debt her ex-boyfriend made on her credit cards."
Bobby
Bobby nodded.
"Well then you shouldn't have any problems."
Hank
"Perhaps..."
Hank sighed, fingers combing at the hair that merged into fur on his head.
"Anyway. More twinkies!"
He landed carefully.
Bobby
Bobby got out of his seat, hopping around impatiently, wanting to get more and more twinkies.
"Twinkies!"
Hank
They went into the store and blitzed through it again, buying every twinkie in sight.
"Bobby, we could feed a small third world country with the amount we're buying," Hank pointed out after the fifth store.
Bobby
Bobby yawned.
"Home it is then!"
Hank
"Induibitably."
Hank turned the Blackbird for home and they settled into the hanger quietly.
"Let's get this back to the labs and start eating them, Bobby."
Bobby
They went into the medlabs and Bobby sprawled himself out on a bed, munching happily on a twinkie.
"Eating these won't be the same without ya."
Hank
"I would have to concur."
Hank crouched on his computer chair, eating a twinkie slowly.
"I think you will be fine at college, Bobby. Do not worry so."
Bobby
Bobby nodded.
"I hope so."
Hank
"Bobby, if I could leave the small country town I grew up in to go to a medical school that was nearly on the other side of the country, with far poorer social skills then you possess and come out unscathed and mostly sane, I am sure you will be fine," Hank said.
He picked up another twinkie and ate it.
Bobby
"Easy for you though, you had you. I'm not going to have you when I go."
Bobby sighed.
Hank
"Ah, but you will have yourself."
Hank grinned.
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt...Shakespeare again. Stop doubting yourself, Bobby my friend. I trust in you. Why therefore, can you not trust in yourself?"
OOC: Measure for Measure - Shakespeare
Bobby
Bobby shrugged.
"Because I know me, and I know I'm an insecure little bastard under all this salty goodness."
Hank
Hank uncrouched and walked over to Bobby, careful not to step on any twinkies. He put a large hand on his friend's shoulder and looked into his eyes seriously.
"Insecurity is nothing to be ashamed of, Bobby. Heaven knows I suffer from enough of my own to not be able to tell you to stop. I would ask, however, that you let yourself trust your worth."
Bobby
Bobby reached up and pulled his friend into a huge hug.
"Thank you, Hanky."
Hank
"You are quite welcome, Bobby."
Hank hugged him back carefully, mindful of his strength.
Bobby
Bobby swallowed the last of his twinkie.
"I should go to bed. Can I crash down here?"
Hank
"Of course, Bobby."
Hank got up and stretched before padding across to the computer.
"I have a little work to do before I sleep..."
Bobby
Bobby nodded and stretched out on the bed he was lying on.
"Don't stay up all night, get some rest..."
Within seconds, Bobby had fallen asleep.
Hank
Hank tapped away at his keyboard, starting to blink tiredly. Eventually, he fell asleep into an uneasy doze over his computer, head pillowed on one arm.